The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A power controller system generally includes a number of electrical enclosure assemblies mounted to a panel, wherein a plurality of electrical and electronic components are disposed within individual enclosures. The enclosure is commonly mounted to the panel on an interior portion, and a cover (or a “bezel” as commonly referred to in the art) is placed over an open end of the enclosure to cover the electrical and electronic components on an exterior portion of the panel. Such a construction often requires the sealing of interfaces between the panel and each of the components of the enclosure assembly, i.e. the bezel on the exterior of the panel and the enclosure on the interior of the panel, to prevent outside moisture from entering the enclosure and possibly damaging the electric and electronic components.
In some electrical applications, the sealing must meet requirements of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), and more specifically NEMA Standard 250, “Enclosures for Electrical Equipment (1000 volts Maximum).” A conventional NEMA sealing arrangement generally requires a sealing member, one of which is commonly referred to as a “NEMA 4X panel gasket,” for the interface between the bezel and the panel. One disadvantage of this conventional sealing arrangement is that when the bezel is removed for maintenance purposes, the sealing member becomes dislodged and is often lost or damaged, thus requiring frequent replacement. Another disadvantage is that a relatively large force is often required to properly install the sealing member between the panel and an external component, (e.g., the bezel), to achieve a proper seal. With such large forces, the sealing members often undergo plastic deformation, become brittle, and thus once removed often fail and cannot be re-used.
Additionally, many of the conventional NEMA sealing arrangements require multiple sealing members for a single electrical enclosure installation, depending on the configuration of the external components. The sealing members are also typically secured between the external component and the panel by way of a plurality of mechanical fasteners, which are commonly accessible only from the interior of the panel. The use of multiple mechanical fasteners also results in a somewhat tedious process of installation and removal. Accordingly, a plurality of separate parts are required for a typical electrical enclosure installation, thus increasing the complexity of the installation and also increasing the probability that the separate parts will become lost and/or damaged.